HP launches new gaming desktop and TouchSmart PC

Darius Chang | Oct 13, 2009

The desktop PC may not be as personal as its mobile equivalents, but in most households it has become a common use machine to keep shared multimedia files or play games. HP has released two models which cater to two distinct segments--HP Pavilion Elite HPE (High Performance Edition) for the virtual warrior and the new TouchSmart PC for the family.

The HP Pavilion Elite HPE sports the latest Core i7 or i5 processor and comes with a 1.8GB Nvidia GeForce GTX260SE graphics chip. According to HP, this is an exclusive video card as the standard version only holds 896MB of discrete graphics memory. Meant as a powerful desktop for gaming and home entertainment needs, it has two harddisk bays which support 2TB drives each as well as a built-in TV tuner for over-the-air broadcasts. There is also an option to add Blu-ray support.

But what's interesting about this machine is that HP has made it easy to upgrade. From thumb screws to easy-access optical drives, it is simple to swap built-in components for better versions in the future. According to the company, changing hardware will not void the warranty (which will continue to cover the original components)unless the replacement part is the cause of the damage. This PC will retail on October 22 with a starting price of US$999 for the base configuration without a monitor, though in some regions the HP Pavilion elite HPE might come bundled with a display.

HP Pavilion Elite HPE

Core i5 or i7 processor

Six memory slots

Dual harddisk bays

Dual optical drive bays

1.8GB Nvidia GeForce GTX260SE graphics

Integrated TV tuner

One PCI-E (16x) and three PCI-W (1x) expansion slots

Six USB ports; PS/2; FireWire; eSATA; VGA- and DVI-out; memory card reader

802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Gigabit Ethernet connectivity

The new TouchSmart 600 is an All-In-One desktop with a 23-inch full-HD display. Though its design is not a radical shift from it predecessor, there are a couple of nifty new features. The new TouchSmart interface incorporates Windows 7 Touch Pack and allows for multitouch gestures to be used with the image and Windows Globe programs. This machine also comes with HDMI and composite inputs, which let you hook up a gaming console or settop box directly to the display.

TouchSmart 600

Core 2 Duo processor

23-inch 1080p display

4GB RAM

Integrated Nvidia GeForce G200 graphics

DVD slot-in drive

750GB HDD

Integrated TV tuner and Webcam

Wireless keyboard and mouse

Six USB ports; memory card slot

HDMI and composite-video inputs

802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Gigabit Ethernet connectivity

The TouchSmart 600 will be available on October 22 and start at US$1,199. A smaller 20-inch TouchSmart 300 will also be sold at the same time with a base price of US$899. Check out a video of the new TouchSmart interface below.

Filed under: PC & Peripherals
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